Vending machine



w NL PL RlCHiAFUDSCDhlEH'AL Jun .17, 1930.

VENDING MACHINE Filed June 20, 1928 El /921m 7/9/01: 5621mm ca y Patented June 17, 1930 UNITED STATES.

PATENT OFFICE MYRON I-I. RICHARDSON AND ALFRED I). ANTOINE, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS TO ADVANCE MACHINE COMPANY, ojF

ILLINOIS CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATIGN" F VENDING MACHINE Original application filed June 23, 1924,5eria1 No. 721,661. Divided and this application filed June 20,

1928. Serial his application is adivision of application Serial Number 721,661, filed June 23, 1924.

This invention relates to improvements in vending machines preferably adapted, though not necessarily limited to machines of the check controlled type, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved machine of this character particularly adapted for dispensing articles which are thin and fiat, and improved means whereby the mechanism may be adjusted to compensate the thicknesses of the articles to be vended. V V

. To the attainment of these ends and the accomplishment of other new and useful objects as will appear, the invention consists in the features of novelty in substantially the construction, combination and arrange ment of the several parts hereinafter more fully described and claimed and shown in the acompanying drawing illustrating this invention, and in which Figure 1 is a vertical, longitudinal sectional view of a portion of a machine of this character constructed in accordance with the principles of this invention and with parts omitted for the sake of ciearness.

Figure 2 is a plan view of a portion of the ejecting mechanism.

Figure 3 is a detail rear elevation of Figure 4:-

Figure 4 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section showing the ejecting mechanism in the position it will assume a when the machine is empty.

Referring more particularly to the drawing the numeral 15 designates a case or cabinet having a delivery outlet 16, through which the articles to be vended are delivered. The cabinet is provided with a holder 17 for articlesand the holder is provided with an outlet opening 18 adjacent the bottom thereof.

- The articles are delivered from the holder ejector beingv preferably supported and maintained in position by means of ears or deflected portions 21 onthe ejector which pass over the edges of the support 20 and is supported for-free reciprocating movement upon the support.

hen the ejector 19 is moved in a direction to deliver the article, or to the left from its position in Figure 1, thelowermost article 22 in the holder 17 will be engaged by the ejector and the article will fallfrom the holder to be delivered through the de-' livery opening lG.

Secured to the support 20 and to the bottom-thereof adjacent the outlet opening 18 is a suitable member 23. The member 23 is of a length somewhat greater than the width of the support 20 and the ends thereof extend around the lateral edges of the supengage the extremities of the aricles 22 be- 7 ing. vended.

If desired, suitable filler members 2!) may be provided between the lower face of the support 20 and the member 23 so as to permit of ad ustment of the extremities 25 to move the ends farther away from or closer to the face of the support20 to vary the size of the spaces therebetweenand thereby compensate the varyingthicknesses of articles to be vended.

The ejector consists of a substantially thin plate which is of a thickness slightly less than the space between the ends of the extremities 25 and the face of the support 20 so that when the ejector 1-9 'is pro- 'ected it will engage the edge ofthe lbwe'rmost article 22150 eject the same threu'gn the opening 18 the holder 17 tnrengih the space between the ends of the extremities 25 of the member 23 and the top of the support 20.

As a means for guiding the ejector and holding the parts in the proper position, there may be provided a guide member 27 which may be secured to any fixed portion of the mechanism and the end 28 of the member 27 is deflected as shown and the lower face of the deflected portion is arranged in close proximity to the upper surface of the ejector 19 to rest thereagainst.

In order to exert the necessary weight or pressure upon the articles 22 in the holder 17, to cause them to be advanced in the holder, a suitable weight 29 may be provided. This weight is provided with a suitable opening 30 therein for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth so that the machine will be rendered inactive when no articles are contained within the holder 17.

Any suitable means may be provided for reciprocating the ejector such as a pivotally mounted member 31 which is pivotally supported preferably intermediate its ends by means of pivots 32, and one end thereof is connected with the ejector 19 in any desired or suitable manner, preferably by deflecting the extremities 33 of the members 31 so that they will enter openings 34 in extended portions 35 of the ejector 19. The member 31 is adapted to be moved about its pivot by means of a suitable cam shaped device 36 which is adapted to be rotated and during its rotation a cam shaped portion 37 thereof will successively engage lugs or projections 3839 carried by the member 31. When the am 37 is rotated and assuming the parts to be in the position shown in Figure 1, the cam surface 37 will engage the projection 38 and will swing the member 31 about its pivot in one direction to retract the ejector 19. \Vhen the cam surface 87 engages the projection 39 the member 31 will be moved in the opposite direction so as to actuate the ejector 19 to deliver the article 22, it being understood that the projections 38 and 39 are arranged on opposite sides of the pivot of the member 31.

The cam member 33 and cam 37 are adapted to be actuated by check controlled mechanism preferably of the type and construction as disclosed in United States patent to Al- (Lil fred D. Antoine, No. 1,452,721, issued April. 24, 1923, and which check controlled mecha nism embodies a check carrier 40 having a check seat 41 therein.

The check carrier is adapted to be actuated by means of a suitable handle 42 located on the outside of the casing 15, and

the carrier 40 is adapted to be rotated when a proper check is inserted in the mechanism, until the carrier has assumed the position to invert the check seat- 41 so that the check will drop therefrom, and at which time and under normal conditions the check will fall from the seat into the machine.

In order to prevent the actuation of the mechanism when the machine is en'ipty, that is when there are no articles 22 in the holder 17 and in order to return the check to the operator, there is provided a member 43 which is pivotally mounted as at 44 upon a suitable support. Connected with the member 43, preferably one end thereof, as at 45, remote from the pivot 44, is a rock shaft or bar 46. One end 47 of this bar or member is shaped to extend into the path of movcment of the articles from the holder 17 to the support 21. A spring 48 may be provided for shifting the member 43 in a direction to cause the portion 47 of the bar or member 46 to be elevated above the support 20 so that when the ejector 19 is retracted,

the articles in their passage to the support 20;

will fall upon the portion 47 of the bar or member 46 to actuate the latter to swing the member 43 about its pivot and against the stress of the spring 48. The member 43 is provided with a finger or extension 49 which is adapted, in the normal position of the member 43, to assume a position adja cent the path of movement of the periphery of the check within the check seat 41 while the check is being carried by the carrier. In this position when the check carrier is rotated and the check seat is in position to discharge or deliver the check tl'ierefrom, the check will be held against discharge by reason of the fact that the finger or projection 49 of the member 43 will prevent the latter from dropping from its seat.

Vhen the finger or projection is retracted the check will fall from the check seat. The

retraction of the linger or projection 49 is controlled, as before stated, by the articles in the holder 17. It will therefore be manifest that when the holder 17 contains one or more articles to be delivered, the weight of the article when it passes to the support 20 upon the portion 47 of the member 46, will swing the member 46 about its pivot against the stress of the spring 48 and retract the finger 49.

hen the holder 17 is empty, no weight will be applied to the portion 47 of the member 46, with the result that the finger or extension 49 will be advanced or projected by the movement of the member 43 about its pivot under the influence of the spring -18.

Obviously the ejector 19 is so shaped that the reciprocation thereof will not be interfered with by the portion 47 of the member 46 and the weight 30 is also so shaped that when the holder 17 is empty of articles 22, the weight will not depress the end 47 of the bar or member 46.

\Vhile the preferred form of the invention has been herein shown and described, it is to be understood that "arious changes may be made in the details of construction and in the combination and arrangement of the several parts, within the scope of the claims, without departing from the spirit of this invention.

What is claimed as new is:

1. A vending machine including a holder for the articles to be vended, a support for receiving the articles from the holder, an element secured to the bottom of the support, a portion of the said element, extending around the edges of the support over the top thereof and terminating in close proximity to the upper face of the supportfor holding down a comparatively thin article when ejected by the ejector, the said article passing between said face of the sup port and the said portion of the said element adjacent thereto, an ejector for the articles, and means for actuating the ejector, the said ejector also passing between the said support and the adjacent portion of said element.

2. A vending machine including a holder for the articles to be vended, a support for receiving the articles from the holder, a comparatively thin and fiat reciprocating ejector movable upon the support, and a member mounted beneath said support and extending over the lateral edges and the upper face of the support and terminating short of said-upper face and between which face and said member the articles'pass when ejected by the ejector.

3. A vending machine including a holder for the articles to be vended, a support for receiving the articles from the holder, a comparatively thin and flat reciprocating ejector movable upon the support, a member mount-ed beneath said support and extend ing over the lateral edges and the upper face of the support and terminating short of said upper face and between which face and said member the articles pass when ejected by the ejector, and means whereby the portions of the said member may be adjusted with respect to the said surface of the support to compensate varying thicknesses of articles to be vended.

4. A vending machine embodying a container for the articles having a delivery opening, a support adjacent said opening, a member secured to the bottom face of said support, the ends of said member projecting beyond the lateral edges of the support and extending upwardly over said edges, the said ends of the member also extending over the support, the extremities of said ends being deflected downwardly towards and terminating short of the said support and beneath which extremities the articles pass as they are ejected, and means for ejecting the articles.

5. A vending machine embodying a container for the articles having a delivery neath which extremities the articles pass as they are ejected, means for ejecting the articles, and, means whereby the distance between the extremity of said ends and said support may be varied.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification on this 15th day of June, A. D. 1928.

MYRON H. RICHARDSON. ALFRED D. ANTOINE. 

